The present invention relates to a basketball return apparatus, and in particular, to a basketball return apparatus with an integrated ball collector.
“Practice makes perfect,” so the adage goes. The game of basketball is not exempt from this age old adage. Practice is known to improve a player's basketball skills Taking numerous shots at a basketball hoop is a key element of basketball practice as it develops the player's shooting ability and technique. However, unless a second player is present to rebound for the first player (the shooter), the first player must rebound his or her own shots. This rebounding process wastes time that could otherwise be used by the player to practice skills including shooting.
A wide variety of ball collectors have been conceived to collect basketballs shot at a basketball goal (including a backboard with an attached hoop). These ball collectors generally include netting and a frame positioned under and around the basketball goal. Ball collectors are often used in conjunction with a ball returner, which directs a ball back from the ball collector to the shooter.
When a ball collector is separate and independent from a ball returner, it can be awkward, cumbersome, and time consuming to set up both devices to be used together. When a ball collector and a ball returner are fixedly mounted to a common base, setup can be done more quickly. However, fixing the ball collector with respect to the ball returner in a particular orientation necessarily limits a user's ability to select a different orientation. A single orientation is not necessarily ideal for using the ball collector and ball returner both near and away from the basketball goal.